Automatic coupler



Oct. 27, 1925- 2. M. ABSHEAR AUTOMATIC COUPLER Filed Jan. 25. 1924 2SheetvSheet 1 Q O Y M m Z I C) Z M A INVENTOR WITNESSEJ ATTORNEY Z. M.ABSH EAR Oct. 27, 1925- AUTOMATIC o PLER Filed Jan. 25. 1924 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR v ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,559,393 PATENT, OFFICE.

ZACHRY M. ABsHEaa, or Lornam, x ilvrucx AUTOMATIC COUPLER.

Application filed January 25, 1924. Serial No. 688,544. 1.,

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ZACHRY M. ABSHEAR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lothair, in the county of Perry and State of Kentucky, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Couplers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to draft devices, particularly to car couplers,and has for its object the provision .of a novel automatic couplerdesigned primarily for use upon mine cars though not necessarily limitedto employment in .such a capacity as it could be adapted for use onother rolling stock.

It is well known that the workmen frequently have their fingers andhands mashed and even often loose their lives in coupling together carsnot only in mines but in other places,this condition arising from thenecessity of going between the cars to effect coupling.

It is with these facts in view that I have designed the present devicewhich is entirely automatic in action, the coupling taking.

place when the cars are simply brought together, release being effectedby pulling upon a control element located at a distance.

An important object is the provision of a device of this character whichwill be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, highly efficient in use,durable in service and a general improvemtnt in the art.

lVith the above and other objects and advantages in View the inventionconsists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich: Y

Figure 1 is a plan view of the two coupling members mounted on theadjacent ends of cars and showing them in engaged relation,

Figure 2 is a side elevation,

Figure 3 is a vertical section,

Figure at is a front elevation of one coupling member, I

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the other.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through one of the coupling members, andFig. 7 is a detail horizontal section through the other.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the lettu A designates themeeting ends of cars to be coupled. Mounted upon one car is a couplingdevice comprisinga base plate 10 from which rise spaced flanges 11reinforced by webs 12. This'plate is formed with suitable holes for thepassage of securing bolts 13 or the like which efiect the necessaryrigid mounting. Located betweenthe fiangs is a housing member 1&1: whichis open at its bottom and which has its forward end provided with topand side flanges 15 and 16 which flare outwardly as shown so as to formguide means for the draft link to be described. At the rear ends of itssides, the housing 14 is formed with extensions or ears 17 throughpasses a 'pintle pin 18 or its equivalent' whereby thehousing will bepivoted with respect to the base or plate 10. The'top of the housing isformed with an elongated slot 19.

Pivoted upon the pin 18 is an elongated retaining hook 20 which extendswithin the slot 19 and which has its bill.21 extending downwardly acrossthe housing with its end engaged upon the plate 10. The free or forwardend of this hook is provided with a hole 22 within which is engaged arod 23 or flexible member by means of which the hook may be lifted froma safe point.

Mounted on the meeting end of the other car A is a coupling membercomprising a base plate 24: having holes for the passage of securingbolts 25. Rising from this base plate 24: is a block like body 26 havinga horizontal slot 27 therein within which is engaged an elongated draftlink 28 held in position by a coupling pin 29 which is verticallyarranged and which fits within a suitable hole in the body.

To effect coupling, it is merely necessary that the two cars be broughttogether,

whereupon the link 28 will enter the flared i entrance end of thehousing 14. As the link engages the bill 21 of the hook, the inclinationof'the bill ,will cause the hook to be swung upwardly so that the linkmay pass that I have'thus provided a simply constructed and consequentlyinexpensive coupling which will be positive and efficient in operationand which will be very safe in use so that accidents resulting fromcoupling cars will be entirely avoided.

While I have'shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention it is of course to be understood that I reserve the right tomake such changes inthe form, construction and arrangement of parts aswill not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of thesubjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

l. A coupling device comprising, in combination; a supporting membercarrying a draft link and adapted to be mounted upon an end of a car tobe coupled to another, and a cooperating coupling member comprisingsupport having spaced upstanding flanges, an open bottomed housingpivoted between said flanges and having a flaring entrance, the top ofthe housing being slotted, and an elongated hook pivoted on said pivotand lying within said slot with its bill portion extending downwardlyacross the housing and inclined rearwardly, the bill being adapted to beengaged and lifted by said link.

2. In a car coupler, a coupling element designed for co-operation with adraft link and comprising a supporting base having spaced parallelupstanding flanges, an open bottomed housing disposed between saidflanges and having its bottom open and its top provided with a slot, anelongated hook disposed Within said slot and having a bill extendingdownwardly across the housing, and a pivot pin passing through saidflanges, the sides of the housing and said hook.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ZACHRY M. ABSHEAR.

